An Interview with Senior Serena Lincoln, For Art’s Sake’s Featured Artist

This Saturday, March 10, Blackstone Valley Prep will host our 5th Annual For Art’s Sake: A Scholar Art Show & Artisan Fair in celebration of Youth Art Month. For Art’s Sake is open to the public and will feature art from scholars across BVP schools, activity stations for all ages designed by the BVP art team, entertainment, and more than a dozen artisan vendors selling a variety of handcrafted creations, including jewelry, woodwork, illustrations, bath and body products, and more.

For the first time in the Fair’s five-year history, the “featured artist” will be one of our own students: Senior Serena Lincoln, who recently opened up about her college plans, career ambitions, and BVP’s impact on her art.

How is your senior year going?

​Senior year has been stressful! I’m enrolled in CCRI’s Running Start Program while also applying to colleges and starting a new job. However, I think my fellow Running Start scholars would agree that as stressful as it is, the program teaches you a lot about independence. I’m taking Math for Finance, Darkroom Photography, Psychology, and Composition 1 this semester.

Which colleges have you applied to? What is your dream school?

I have applied to the School of Visual Arts, Cooper Union, Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Pratt Institute, and Parsons School of Design. My dream school is Cooper Union because 1) they give you half-tuition, 2) it’s in the heart of New York City, and 3) they allow students to learn a variety of mediums and techniques. I would much rather be a jack-of-all-trades than know only one “kind” of art.​

What are your future career ambitions?

​My dream job is to work for a comic book company as a penciller or a cartoonist. I’d love to do editorial illustrations on the side, as well. ​Although I love cartooning and illustration, I’d still like to keep my foot in contemporary art and possibly merge both mediums together and be a bit more experimental.

​​What first sparked your interest in art?

I grew up in a family where my mother and sister were artists. I was lucky and my family encouraged me to pursue my interest in art, even as young as two. I regret to say that I was the “horse girl” of my middle school. I mainly drew horses and other hoofed animals from the age of three well into my middle school years.​

How would you describe your artistic style?

I would say I specialize in drawing and painting. I like to mix the two as well ‒ drawing with inks and coloring in with watercolor. I try to expand my common mediums as much as possible; I love using collage, oil, acrylic and watercolor paint, ink, colored pencil, marker, and graphite. I think that one of the things that shows up across the board, regardless of medium, is my use of harsh lines and harsh shadows. I don’t like dull shading. I like high contrast, and I try especially hard to incorporate that in my comics.

How has BVP helped you grow as an artist?

Without Mrs. Simpson’s constant, constructive criticism, I would not be the artist I am today. I am far more detail oriented, driven, and open to criticism as an artist, and my art continues to evolve.​

Do you have a favorite artist or someone whose work you really admire?

I love, love, love David Aja who worked on a few Marvel comics in recent years. J.H. Williams III is another obsession of mine. He did the Sandman: Overture comic three years ago. I also love Oda Jaune who is a contemporary painter. And Ryan Hewett. The list goes on.​..

What are you most looking forward to about being the featured artist at For Art’s Sake?

I’m most looking forward to simply showcasing things I have worked extremely hard on over the past four years. Art takes up such a massive portion of my life, and it feels natural to show that part of me to the world. You can’t be an artist if no one sees your art.​

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